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Tag: GUEST COLUMN

  • Guest Column: The great streaming transformation

    Guest Column: The great streaming transformation

    New Delhi: It’s one of the great truths that some of the most significant events in human history have left a lasting legacy of unanticipated and permanent societal change. Last year the global pandemic caused the world to enter a long, dark tunnel from which it is yet to emerge. We don’t know yet what its permanent legacy will be, but in media and entertainment, streaming has catapulted to the forefront as the fastest-growing segment for content consumption.

    It’s true, the global content viewing revolution had already begun with the birth of global SVOD players like Netflix and Amazon in the last decade, but in 2020 digital transformation was supercharged. In the FICCI-EY report ‘Playing by new rules’ (March 2021), 37 per cent of surveyed Indian consumers said they are more likely to consume their media via OTT after the pandemic. For home entertainment, the digital age has well and truly arrived.

    OTT (over-the-top) streaming services thrive by offering low-cost, high utility alternatives to traditional television and make money by mining the margin previously enjoyed by pay and FTA broadcasters who have much higher infrastructure costs. Their algorithm-directed content picks take the place of human-driven programming selections and deliver the customer a sense of personalisation and “endless choice”, which sometimes belies the actual quantity of programmes available. These services’ responsiveness to consumer behaviour, with their ability to serve up just enough of the right content to maximise subscription and to reduce churn, also sets them apart. If they can find their niche in a crowded market they can be incredibly successful.

    The global OTT market is huge and growing fast – estimated by Research Dive to grow at a CAGR of over 19 per cent out to 2026 becoming then worth over US$400 billion globally. This surging growth, never stronger in a single year than in 2020, has led to the mass uptake of a huge range of existing and new local and global platforms and services. Many of these services were accessed for the first time by individuals and families who were living through months of economic and social lockdowns.

    In the Asia Pacific, more broadly, according to PWC, the regional OTT market will surpass that of the United States sometime in 2021.

    Last year, everyone was talking about the most popular streaming shows. If it wasn’t The Crown, it was The Queen’s Gambit or Criminal Justice: Behind Closed Doors on Disney+ Hotstar, produced by BBC Studios India. In India, there are now more than 40 OTT providers in a crowded market challenging for a share of the valuable streaming wallet.

    Our content sales business has been able to benefit from this growth. In India last year BBC Studios struck a deal with Lionsgate Play to showcase premium dramas Brexit, Pure, Class, Les Miserables and SS-GB. The ever-popular Doctor Who reached its audience on Disney+ Hotstar and Amazon Prime Video. Celebrated BBC pre-school content appeared on Voot Kids, providing entertaining and educational content for young families stuck at home. Sony BBC Earth also had a strong year.

    How are producer-distributors to continue to respond to this challenge and yet potentially huge opportunity? One thing that has become apparent is the vital importance of the ownership of intellectual property. This realisation was the driving force behind the 2018 spin-off of the BBC’s in-house production arm and consolidation with distribution company BBC Worldwide, to create a producer-distributor powerhouse, BBC Studios. And no doubt, ownership of content and IP has become even more important since then.

    As an owner, BBC Studios extracts value at all points in the IP’s lifecycle, from initial production to distribution to licensing and merchandising. But it doesn’t end there. Running a true IP ecosystem also requires participation in the OTT market itself. The development of authenticated VOD service – BBC Player in Singapore and Malaysia and the partnership with ITV in streaming service BritBox, which is enjoying huge success in the US, Canada, and Australia are evidence of this.

    In the US, many of the big studios executed gigantic mid-course pivots to streaming, involving consolidation, big money investments, channel closures, and painful restructuring. Last year, Warner Brothers stunned the market by announcing that they planned to release their entire 2021 film slate on HBO Max simultaneously with movie theatres in the US.

    Recently we learned that Disney will take the unprecedented step of closing 18 of their linear channels in South East Asia and Hong Kong to concentrate on their OTT business. Both seem incredibly bold but understandable moves given the state of the market, the pace of change, and the growing size of the streaming prize.

    Linear channels will continue, albeit on a slow decline in some markets. MPA recently forecast that total pay-TV industry revenues will actually grow at a CAGR of 3 per cent between 2020-25, driven by India, China, and Korea. However, those still in the linear business must continue with the modernisation of their services, building digital extensions, and increasing their cost efficiency while preparing to participate in a primarily digital future.

    The advent of OTT streaming delivers a stark choice for IP owners – either stay on the sidelines and risk having their primary business model eroded, or take the plunge and transform their business model to take advantage of the age of streaming.

    (Jon Penn is the executive vice president for BBC Studios APAC. The views expressed in the column are personal and Indiantelevision.com may not subscribe to them.)

  • GUEST COLUMN: The changing landscape of social networking platforms in India

    Mumbai: Social networking and social media have evolved tremendously over the years. Social networking platforms have played a major role in facilitating the collaboration of people with similar interests by providing a way for people to interact instantaneously, without barriers, and using tools literally at their fingertips.

    With the changing landscape of social networking platforms over the past decade, people have moved from in-person socialization to relying on digital social platforms to stay connected and communicate. This trend has been attributed to the rapidly changing pace of peoples’ lives and as they become busier their preference for the convenience social platforms offer becomes more apparent. People prefer being connected via social platforms as the ability for people to meeting in person has reduced. They now have access to infinite amounts of information about every member in their social circle via social media.

    A few years ago, social networking sites were primarily used for sharing life updates, but their role has changed drastically. While at first largely used to digitally connect with friends, acquaintances, colleagues, family members; they have now become a storehouse with an abundance of information ranging from peoples’ whereabouts to current affairs worldwide, educational content, promotional videos, and entertainment bytes. All kind of information is available at peoples’ fingertips encouraging and allowing for active engagement with each other.

    Social platforms have become mobile and portable all thanks to the increased usage of smartphones and the development of application-based versions. Additionally, due to technological advancements, companies have also started leveraging the power and vast reach of social platforms to generate leads, increase their brand awareness, and create a community for like-minded people so that they can support each other and engage in fruitful conversations.

    The usage of social networking platforms has indeed witnessed a surge at the global level. While various factors contribute to this growth, the availability of smartphones at nominal prices and easy access to the internet can be suggested as the primary reasons for the inculcation of social networking trends.

    Another interesting fact is that until a few years ago, social networking platforms were common amongst the urban population, especially millennials. Recently, these platforms have broken every demographic wall and quickly spread to people of all backgrounds including those of age, gender, and geography, becoming equally prominent in the non-metro cities, and are used for both information gathering and entertainment purposes.

    Pandemic: Boosting the need for Social Networking Platforms

    The occurrence of the pandemic last year contributed to the increased power of social networking platforms. With mass lockdowns, curfews, and shutdowns across the globe that took away the ability for people to socialize in person, people actively started relying on social networking platforms to stay connected with their networks, families, and friends. Amidst the COVID-19 crisis, social networking online became a lifeline for many families and friends not only allowing people to stay connected but in fact, connecting people more frequently than before. Friends, families, and colleagues all saw a sharp rise in the amount of communication via video calls, social platform messaging, and overall digital communication. Social platforms provided a much-needed and critical avenue for communication to remain intact, and for people to stay connected to each other.

    Evolution of social networking platforms in India

    Currently, social media continues to evolve as a most vital tool for communication as it is equipped with the ability to exchange information, influence opinions, connect individuals, and nurture communities. In India specifically, the active number of people using various social media and social networking platforms continues to grow with each passing day.

    According to a Datareportal Global Overview Report in partnership with We Are Social and Hootsuite, on average 1.3 million new people joined social media every day during 2020. This equates to roughly 15½ new users in the social space every second. It also states that more than half of the world, which is approximately 4.2 billion people, presently uses social media and social networking platforms. Smart Insights reports a similar trend and states that presently, 53.5 per cent of the world’s total population uses social media and networking sites and the daily average social media usage is two hours 25 minutes.

    As per Statista’s report, in India a person spends approximately 17 hours on social networking platforms every week, and that almost every two in three Indians who are smartphone owners are present on some kind of social media or networking sites, and actively accesses it. It further states that the number of people on social networking platforms is projected to surpass the 400 million mark by the end of 2021, and it is anticipated to grow to approximately 447.9 million people by 2023.

    These statistics depict that social networking and social media are transforming the way people communicate and connect. One might even say that social media and networking sites are the ‘new word of mouth’.

    Summing up

    Social networking platforms enable the collaboration of members who have shared interests and a will to connect with like-minded people. The increasing number of online communications via social networking platforms have paved the way for community building that brings like-minded people under one roof. They have enabled networking at a global level even during the present (post-lockdown) times. The landscape of social networking platforms has undergone a shift and continues to evolve and progress. This has further led to the online conversations in social networking platforms to soar rapidly and they show no sign of stopping as platforms continue to become more elaborate with new features and ways of connecting people around the world.

    (Rebecca Garfinkel is the marketing and social Lead of ChekMarc. The views expressed in the column are personal and Indiantelevision.com may not subscribe to them.)

  • GUEST COLUMN: Major challenges faced by the Ad-Tech industry in 2021

    New Delhi: With the emergence of digital media as a key marketing channel and the advent of technology as a driving factor, the last decade has induced major transformation across the ad-tech industry. The COVID-19 pandemic has further pushed the industry to its limits, making tech adoption a cornerstone of survival.

    With digital consumption increasing enormously due to the pandemic, consumer behavior has also changed drastically. According to the latest Digital Commerce 360 analysis, consumers in the US spent $861.12 billion online in 2020, whereas this figure was $598.02 billion in 2019. There has been a rise of about 44.0 per cent in online spending in the US.

    A report by Worldpay FIS, a financial technology product and services provider says COVID-19 has led to a huge upsurge in the Indian Commerce industry and there is substantial room for future growth. Consequent to this digital shift, the year gone by also saw some fundamental changes become mainstream in the industry. For example, a significant increase in digital ad spends, the use of AI and machine learning to increase speed, accuracy, and gain high customer-centricity, and use of performance-based marketing strategies have become central to digital advertising success.

    This is probably another year of uncertainty for brands and the ones who adapt to the altered digital strategies are the ones who would sail through these difficult times. The game plan will include a better understanding of the online behavior of consumers, be responsive to the content trends while continuing to stick to their plan to provide genuine and meaningful engagement to consumers.

    Speed breakers ahead

    Advertisers faced immense operational challenges in 2020. This has made them more reliant on programmatic media buying and has forced them to look for more efficient solutions to advertise. Data from Crunchbase, a platform that gathers data about the business, suggests that in the last five years there has been a dip in the ad-tech revenue at a 10 per cent compounded rate. But positive signs have emerged now. The emerging consumer behavior from the pandemic has propelled a greater need and inclination towards advertising technology. Digital advertising on online channels such as Facebook, Amazon, and Google are likely to build up about 61 per cent of all advertising in 2021. About 86 per cent of marketers today are banking on video formats for advertising, educating, and entertaining their audience.

    Enter the ROI driven world

    The changing dynamics of the AdTech world have made performance, data insight, and automation key success tools. With the dominance of performance-driven products and solutions, tracking ROI is crucial for any business.

    Performance-based marketing is fast emerging as the preferred choice for advertisers. Increasingly, players in the AdTech industry are adopting software and platforms that give them trackable and measurable insights into the performance of their ad strategy. Platforms like Trackier have used this emerging space to offer highly customer-friendly multi-channel tracking platforms that help brands measure the true value of their ad campaigns and realign their strategies when not found effective.

    The game is changing 

    The past decade has seen marketers fixating on delivering personalized marketing solutions. The building block of this model has been the colossal data compilation of personal information floating through the system. To date, this data collection has been enabling marketers to keep a track of people’s lives online. However, this scenario is going to change now.

    Privacy is prime; Safari and Firefox have already blocked third-party cookies by default and taking a step further tech giants like Google and Apple have put a check on cross-site tracking. With Google announcing its plan to phase out third-party cookies in Chrome by 2022, and Apple via updates via ITP, the digital players would now have to refocus their strategies. They will have to rely on probabilistic data to target the audience and get accustomed to the world of unidentified users. But taking this as an opportunity where there is a need to promote innovative techniques to deliver engaging and relevant advertising. In such a scenario, contextual targeting will see a rise. It is more respectful of the user’s privacy and more honest while collecting data.

    Affiliate marketing is transforming

    Preferred over traditional ways, affiliate marketing has gained more importance in the era of increased online advertising. The prime focus of affiliate marketing has been on value rather than volume. Better-designed programs supported by data metrics can improve tracking methodologies and blockchain. Brands will want to divert their funds to channels that show better ROI. This inclination will allow affiliate marketers to trust the connections within their network and re-align their budgets accordingly. It is time for affiliate marketers to be extremely selective about the partners they choose to add to their program.

    Factors of growth

    The growth in online consumers would drive the digital wave in 2021. However, more people browsing online would not necessarily mean increased online sales. This is where the role of advertising and marketing becomes pertinent. According to Marketer.com, about 88 per cent of all US digital display ad sum is flowing via automation by 2021. Artificial intelligence-enabled programmatic advertising can automate these processes. Advertisers and agencies to tech vendors will need to revisit their identity strategies and look for efficient solutions, which may be different for different companies.

    Reinvention is the key 

    For the tech industry, 2021 is the year to move away from the existing systems and invent better ecosystems to better suit the changing situations. This would include looking for better ways to utilize the existing data to target the audience. With data curb from the tech giants, brands need to find more sustainable data supply sources. Questions need to be asked about how the operations would be run in absence of cookies.

    It is time for advertisers to look forward to a better

     understanding of new-age advertising, consumer trends, and the key technology driving it. Consumer attention and devices will be versatile and there will be greater reliance on tools that go beyond universal identifiers. As the companies are adopting new-age technologies, it is leading the way for ad tech – especially in the digital space. With the rise of the virtual population and innovative technology, advertisers are hoping that 2021 will be the year of improved digital interactions between brands and consumers.

    (Udit Verma is the co-founder and CMO of Trackier- a SAAS based performance marketing platform that allows brands to effectively manage and track their online ad campaigns. The views expressed in the column are personal and Indiantelevision.com may not subscribe to them.)

  • Guest column: Embracing uncertainty is the next normal

    Guest column: Embracing uncertainty is the next normal

    New Delhi: For the last decade or so, we have often seen many business managers and leaders speak about how we are operating in and living through what we believed are uncertain times. Economic downturn. Inflation. Recovery. Recession again, followed by revival, of a period of sustained growth.

    It’s a new world order where economic uncertainty has seemingly become the new normal. Many of us even started referring to this and connecting it with the acronym ‘VUCA’ to describe the more volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous world. Digitisation, technology transformation, changing geopolitics, evolving business models, and a changing consensus on globalisation and trade have further accentuated the theory of uncertainty.

    But the Covid2019 pandemic has changed–our collective calculus of uncertainty. There has never been a time, the human world may have faced such a complex situation. There have been flu pandemics. There was the 2008 financial crisis. And there have been threats and disasters with local and/or national implications: Chernobyl, the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, 9/11, Hurricane Katrina. The Covid2019 pandemic turned out to be more global in scope, frightfully impactful on the economy and society, and more complex than any other crisis that today’s decision-makers have experienced or contemplated.

    Embracing uncertainty and complexity has today assumed never-before-seen critical importance in our decision-making process.

    Consumers too have started reacting to uncertainties with different coping strategies, and we as marketers will need to respond to this, and more importantly, keep this as an essential influential factor in chalking our future business strategies. The unprecedented rate at which consumer behaviour shifts is weakening the predictive power of historical data. This means predictive models built on legacy data must also be supplemented by near-real-time alternatives, acknowledging shifts and adapting to them as they happen.

    Today, the power of scenario-thinking and building sensing capabilities in embracing uncertainties is the key.

    There is a fine balance between the opportunities created by uncertainty and the comforts provided by certainty. Leaders who achieve the balance will unravel growth. Uncertainty can ultimately enrich our lives, or diminish them. Instead of getting intimidated by it, embrace it.

    (The author is COO – TV9 Studio (digital & broadcasting), TV9 Network. The views expressed here are his own and indiantelevision.com may not subscribe to them.)

  • Guest column: Trends that will rule consumer durables industry in the ‘new normal’

    Guest column: Trends that will rule consumer durables industry in the ‘new normal’

    NEW DELHI: 2020 will leave its mark in history as the year that altered lives and reshaped the business landscape across industries. The consumer durables industry has come a long way since the beginning of the pandemic. Companies have tapped into changing consumer sentiments by being more responsive and providing innovative solutions to address expectations. 

    Over the last decade, the consumer durables sector has grown at a steady rate, marking the scope of future prospects. This provides the industry with a great opportunity to build sustainable markets and tap into both urban and rural markets in the country. Last year saw a significant increase in e-commerce demand from tier-2 and tier-3 towns, in light of the pandemic. Brands are also moving toward a more customer-centric approach like never before. The ability to identify a customer’s emotional need, understand the reasons behind that need, and respond to it effectively goes a long way in building successful brands. 

    Keeping these factors in mind, we can anticipate certain trends in the consumer durables industry in the ‘new normal’:

    Enhanced focus on health and eco-friendly products

    Consumers are likely to prioritise health going forward and products that offer superior features protecting or enhancing health will become the popular choice. The outbreak of the virus has led to widespread health awareness with a direct correlation to safety, health and hygiene, making products like water purifiers and water heaters even more important. Also, with increased awareness around the environment, there is a greater focus on more energy-efficient and eco-friendly products to help reduce the carbon footprint.

    Digital integration will be key

    The need to ensure social distancing has given significant rise to online transactions.  Consumers will continue to use digital means to learn more about products. The emergence of more ecommerce channels has also provided convenience with quick delivery, more offerings and the ability for price comparison. Mapping the customer digital journey to create personalised experiences will be key.

    Tech products help shape the future

    Consumers are looking for products that are more technologically advanced, simple to use and easily accessible. We're privileged to be living in a time where science and technology can assist us, make our lives easier and help reshape the ways we go about our lives. The emergence of AI and IoT driven products has upped the scale and quality of communication between devices and humans with intelligent technology. This year, we will see technologies, such as robotics, AI, IoT and AR-VR moving to the forefront. The technology we're already accustomed to has paved the way for us to further innovate; and future technologies will have the potential to change our lives even more.

    Agility will be fundamental to success

    Life as we know it is constantly changing, driving the need for businesses to become more agile and adapt to change across functions – production, supply chain, marketing, sales, etc. There is growing recognition of its transformational benefits and its ability to bring flexibility to business quickly. The ongoing pandemic has highlighted the need for companies to be more agile. For example, a supply chain strategy that made sense before Covid2019 may no longer be applicable. Disruption to the supply chain brought several businesses in the country to a grinding halt. The need to be flexible, create the right business culture, and put customers first, while remaining profitable, will be the key to success. The important lesson is to deploy a combination of strategy and agility to weather strong currents.

    Customers are keen to purchase products that support hygiene and health. The exposure to global technologies and lifestyle has created a perception shift, and consumer durables are no longer viewed as utility products, but rather an extension of one’s personality. Consumers today are aware and equipped with information that helps them understand how opting for more efficient technologies can result in better usability. They seek products that enable both comfort and convenience and don’t hesitate to purchase at a higher cost if it adds value to their lives. Increasing electrification of rural areas and wide usability of online sales are also aiding this growing demand.

    Every crisis is an opportunity for unexpected growth and learning, and the pandemic has encouraged more companies to reinvent and evolve.

    (The author is managing director, A. O. Smith India. The views expressed here are his own and indiantelevision.com may not subscribe to them.)

  • Guest column: Why the new influencer marketing guidelines will be for the better

    Guest column: Why the new influencer marketing guidelines will be for the better

    NEW DELHI: India’s advertising self-regulatory council, the Advertising Standard Council of India (ASCI), will soon announce new guidelines for the influencer industry. Today, influencer marketing is not merely restricted to reaching out to bloggers/influencers but it has acquired a prominent share in brands’ marketing strategies. There’s no second thought in saying that the market has evolved and influencers have become a mainstream medium in the advertising world.

    India’s influencer market is estimated at $75-$150 million a year as compared to the global market of $1.75 billion. This is an industry that has become mainstream in the recent past and is only expected to grow as more Indians go online. Be it a small or bigger brand or even a start-up, everyone intends to get fame in the shortest time, and as a result, they opt for the influencer marketing route to connect with the audience. But then there’s the other side of the story also where digital platforms have been misleading people and frauds have been occurring incessantly. 

    With the new guidelines hitting the influencer industry soon, there will be a gradual change in the whole ecosystem – from brands to consumers and influencers – which will comprehensively impact the digital industry. 

    Transparency in campaigns

    ASCI describes an influencer as having access to an audience and the power to affect their audience's purchasing decisions or opinions about a product, service, brand or experience. As per the latest guidelines, influencers post have to include a permitted form of disclosure, be it an ad, collaboration, promotion, sponsored or partnership.  

    This will ease the consumer understanding regarding the post and people will be mindful of the content they are consuming. Numerous times we don’t know whether it is a paid content or organically generated. In fact, the line between advertising content and paid ones is blurring on social media platforms. The new rules will create more and more transparency, and brands, as well as influencers, will be more careful of the kind of content that they are bringing to their target audience.

    Fake accounts will be minimised

    Given the menace of fake news on social media where a fact check of claims is absent, new guidelines will also protect consumers’ interest. In the digital industry, there has been a rampant issue of fake news, ASCI have many times vocally expressed displeasure but till now it's of no use.

    Influencers many times buy fake followers to increase their reach and gain popularity. There have been instances where XYZ influencers have a massive number of followers, but the engagement on posts is poor. Brands generally look at the number of followers for the association, but if the results are not up to the mark then it’s not a great strategy. 

    Defiance of guidelines

    ASCI is not a statutory government body therefore some organisation may prefer not to abide by the new policies. But, most organisations follow ASCI guidelines and we can expect the same in the case of influencer marketing. ASCI can issue a notice to both brand owner and influencer for violation of any guideline in the case of a consumer complaint.

    The new guidelines will promote transparency, as well as uplift the level of confidence among consumers, influencers and brands. Influencers should take this as an opportunity to maintain the trust among the followers.

    Better opportunities for brands to create responsible advertising

    Over the years, Indian advertising fraternity has evolved. Brands are becoming more conscious of their messaging so they don’t get pulled up by ASCI, but the problem still exists. With brands reaching out to influencers rapidly, this will lead both influencers and brands to include all the contracts as mentioned by ASCI. Hence, the results will be positive and it will minimise misleading consumers, and focus on the right content with right messaging which will increase transparency to make the ecosystem better.

    (The author is COO and strategy head, Grapes Digital. The views expressed here are her own and Indiantelevision.com may not subscribe to them.)

  • Guest column: Why online reputation plays a key role in sales and ROI

    Guest column: Why online reputation plays a key role in sales and ROI

    MUMBAI: ROI (return on investment) can be improved with online reputation management. Technology has ensured everyone from the general public to potential investors are gathering information regarding specific businesses online. Managing the online reputation of the business has become the best possible way to achieve trust, growth, sales and success.

    There are two sides to the return on investment equation. First, there is the actual benefit made from building a positive online presence and the resulting sales generated. Second, there is the calculation of lost revenue due to negative content showing up on the first page of Google. ROI for reputations can now be predicted using a few different approaches.

    When it comes to social listening, social media data is tracked in real-time to test your brand’s loyalty among the audience. Such data could be customers’ feedback, direct mentions, competitors, products, and many more. As the media industry is always in focus both online and offline, following the consumer preference is essential for their success. It helps to identify crisis indicators in the media industry so that you can take the initiative to optimise your content to get better ROI by measuring your company’s impact on consumers. Social media monitoring is an effective approach to generating new leads and ensure satisfied customers. According to smartinsights.com, there are over three billion social media users worldwide. The number keeps growing annually. A section of these social media users is your customers while others are potential customers. You need to monitor the conversations they are having online to identify an opportunity. Thus, online reputation management (ORM) became a necessary strategy in treading the waters of digital marketing. Past and future clients are inclined to discuss the reputation of the business in order to assure success in the long run.

    Free Value of Reviews

    The value of positive reviews shouldn’t be overlooked. Reviews are the number one factor consumers consider when making a purchasing decision.

    It is now a universal notion to believe that bad reviews and ratings on popular social media networks can bring an entire industry down if left unresolved. This is because most people tend to question the credibility and integrity of the business only with a single comment or review along the lines of “this is the worst company ever” or “I had a horrible experience.” A business impression can be built based on reviews alone, and this is why many digital strategists and marketers ask happy and satisfied customers to post their reviews online. By all means, reviews also increase understanding of a brand and business perception. Many people, especially those who are searching to invest in highly valuable and expensive products or even services, will always read individual reviews, not just overall star ratings.

    It is now safe to say that the overall growth and future success of a certain industry heavily relies on their online reputation. That is why businesses have taken the step to remain wary of how the general public sees them online so they can check these issues and nip them in the bud right away. Indeed, online reputation is an important aspect of a successful business, but let’s take a step further and see how it plays a vital role in sales and return of investment. Another critical thing to consider when evaluating the ROI of your ratings and reviews is the impact they have on your local search rankings and overall visibility. 84 per cent of consumers conduct a local search at least once a week. If your business has a strong base of local ratings and reviews, you will appear more frequently in local search results, increasing your overall visibility and boosting your ROI.

    We should understand that full control regarding online reputation cannot be achieved, and running a business or managing a company is never an easy task. But, it is important to keep in mind that business actions can be controlled and how you respond to customers, whether positive or negative will say a lot about your business. Online reputation can be managed to a certain degree and there are things that can be adjusted with proper online reputation management.

    Make online reputation management a key focus of your business. Get ahead by investing in the right reputation management tool, then start planning ahead by setting goals and committing to drive success and sales.

    Invest in efficient, timely and perhaps multilingual customer service. Your customers will appreciate it. And in the end, you will find that you can save a lot in advertising if you pamper your acquired customers a little more.

    (The author is ORM Head, BC Web Wise. The views expressed in this article are his own and indiantelevision.com may not subscribe to them.)

  • Guest column: Roll camera, action – the show must go on

    Guest column: Roll camera, action – the show must go on

    MUMBAI: ZeeL music cluster deputy business head Pankaj Balhara shares his learnings from 2020:

    1. TV is king

    We always had the conviction within the network about the power of TV, and all those questions were put to rest with the trends and data seen during the lockdown – that OTT and TV can co-exist. Specifically, with our TG (the youth), their consumption also increased during the lockdown but overall, it has remained consistent since the past four to five years.

    2. Resilience and innovation of our industry  

    If Covid2019 has taught the entertainment industry anything, it’s that we can’t continue to go on as we have. After a gap of 100 days due to the national lockdown, it was ‘roll camera, action’ again for the entertainment industry, but even in this phase the industry has shown the resilience to innovate and adapt successfully. During the lockdown, the television industry introduced content which was shot from home. TV merged into the virtual space and everyone in the entertainment industry managed to run their operations innovatively. Adapting to the new norms, TV constructed stories and scenes to keep everybody reasonably distanced. With the ongoing pandemic in mind, makers created new shows that both reflect the socially distanced moment and use its tools. What's exciting overall is that Covid has pushed the industry to work in so many creative ways.

    3. TV and food are two true loves for Indians

    The Covid2019 pandemic has pushed television viewership to record levels as it has seen unprecedented growth. Television consumption at this scale hasn't been witnessed or even imagined before. TV continues to attract maximum new eyeballs as the coronavirus outbreak keeps other options of outdoor entertainment limited. With social distancing and work-from-home being the new normal, families have found themselves with a lot more together time, be it having meals to watching their favourite movies or shows together. Same goes for food – as the pandemic made us housebound, we began buying, cooking, and eating very differently. Today both television and food has taken a centre stage at homes for family bonding and entertainment.    

    4.  And above all, life and entertainment must go on!

    There is no historic parallel to the crisis and uncertainty brought about by Covid2019. But the pandemic has taught us that we don't need too much to be happy. There can be a pause, but life doesn’t get stagnant. The show must go on.

    (The author is deputy business head of ZeeL music cluster. Indiantelevision.com may not subscribe to his views.)

  • Guest column: How brands can negotiate the ‘work-from-home’ & ‘virtual’ reality of PR

    Guest column: How brands can negotiate the ‘work-from-home’ & ‘virtual’ reality of PR

    NEW DELHI: John Wooden, a renowned American ex-basketball player, coach and author, once famously said, “If we fail to adapt, we fail to move forward.” True to his saying, every change that mankind has faced has forced us to adapt and evolve, and the current Covid2019 pandemic is no different. Not only has it altered the way we take care of ourselves at a personal level to avoid contracting the ailment, but it has also impacted us financially, professionally and socially, among others.

    One of the most common adaption at a professional level, unequivocally, has been implementing the practice of work from home (WFH) by organisations across geographies and scale. This is particularly true for the IT, FMCG, pharmaceutical, electronics, online retail platforms, digital lenders, start-ups, and BPO/ KPO sector. A recent report by a leading search engine company (Naukri.com) notes that the hiring of employees for a WFH job role has increased by a whopping 300 per cent since the lockdown. The enthusiasm for this ‘new normal’ has been equally reflected at employees’ end, with WFH being one of the top keywords searched.

    Advantages of WFH

    Aside from the safety factor, there are several other advantages of WFH. It has been observed that a significant amount of time is saved, that would otherwise be spent on travelling to work and meetings. Instead, it can, now, be used more productively and to incubate innovative solutions and ideas. WFH can also help organisations blur geographical boundaries by connecting all its stakeholders through common virtual communication and transactional platforms. Additionally, it is beneficial financially. In WFH, lower overheads, especially fixed, would be incurred and this would, eventually, prompt organisations to offer products and services at lower costs and make them more profitable and affable to its customers. Hence, post the pandemic, these factors are going to continue to encourage a multitude of organisations across sectors to reconsider a permanent WFH for some or all of its employees.

    Changing dynamics of the PR landscape

    Given that organisations are increasingly getting accustomed to WFH, public relations (PR), being a service-led industry, has also adopted the new norm of WFH to be on the same page as its stakeholders. The dynamic PR industry has redefined itself and has reinvented its objectives, strategies and tools to transcend to the world of ‘virtual reality’, seamlessly. Virtual models and methods are, at times, replacing and in other times, going hand in hand with traditional approaches to client servicing, media relations and other stakeholder engagements.

    At a time, when client engagements can no longer happen via in-person meetings, it has to be conducted virtually. PR consultants need to maintain effective engagement with clients by sharing daily updates and various status reports in a timely manner, and schedule regular phone and video calls so that the client does not feel alienated.  Key documents could be updated on shared drives to enable real-time reviewing and discussion on the way forward. It is, of course, imperative to use encrypted and trustworthy platforms to avoid leakage of confidential information or data. Time management is of key essence in WFH. It is ideal to synchronise work timings with those of the clients, to the maximum extent possible, so as to be available when the client requires your assistance and ensure that neither is eating into each other’s personal time. Virtual working has also led to merging geographical boundaries. Consultancies can now cater to existing clients, as well as onboard new ones in any location and engage virtually.

    The media catches on too

    It has been noted that in times of Covid, consumers are heavily relying on online and social media forums for information. This is true not just for consumers but also for the media where press conferences are now being replaced by video calls. Product launches and key announcements are taking place through social media handles of organisations. There is an even greater need for brands to post various ‘updates’ so as to maintain the brand recall in this age of information overload. It could be easy for consumers to lose interest in virtual engagement. Hence, the content to be driven on such platforms needs to be brief, relatable and highly engaging. Crisis resolution also has been redefined, since every social media participant could be a potential influencer for the brand. In the wake of this, there is a pressing need to reshape the crisis manual, timely engagement with the client, its customer or media, and address concerns promptly. All in all, a PR professional has to be well versed with digital engagement as well as the measurement metrics for gauging interest and evaluating strategies.

    In the media domain, engagement has also become virtual since media rounds and meetings, one of the key relationship-building approaches are no longer feasible. There is a need to constantly engage with the media to share updates about clients, but avoid calling journalists at odd hours or expect them to check emails instantly, since WFH is a new setup for them, as well. The bottom line is to maintain a fair balance of engagement without overwhelming them.

    So, how to turn this into a success story?

    Last, but far from the least, WFH requires PR consultants to work in a more collaborative manner with all stakeholders, including their teams. It is vital for leaders to stay connected with teams and keep them engaged, motivated, and maintain a personal connect, beyond work. Using positive reinforcement, rather than negative, will help keep up the morale. Small gestures like celebrating achievements, occasions or simply connecting at regular frequencies, will go a long way in retaining team bonding whilst working remotely.

    In a nutshell, since the end of the pandemic is indefinite, many organisations and sectors have declared, or atleast considered, WFH for its employees for at least a year. It has been observed through the passage of time that every working environment requires its own strategy to succeed. Leveraging this ‘virtual reality’ to maintain healthy relationships with all stakeholders, will enable PR consultants to assist clients to respond to new age challenges more effectively and lead the overall PR and communication industry to its growth and evolution.

    (The author is founder of Value360 Communications. Indiantelevision.com may not subscribe to his views.)

  • Guest column: Trends which will define 2021 for programmatic advertising

    Guest column: Trends which will define 2021 for programmatic advertising

    NEW DELHI: The following digital advertising trends will influence the shift to programmatic buying and help brands optimise ad spend.

    Data and cookie deprecation

    There has already been a lot of talk around data and how the third-party cookie deprecation is going to allow the media industry to evolve, looking into new (or old, think contextual) ways to help the brands reach out to their consumers. 2021 would be the year where marketers, publishers and adtech stakeholders will become increasingly self-reliant in establishing their own CDPs, DMPs and unique audience identifiers. We also see the emergence of mediator technologies such as data clean rooms on the back of blockchain architecture that will allow these siloed data sets to talk to each other in a privacy compliant way.

    Media Commerce

    E-commerce spends have been steadily increasing year-on-year and with Covid, some categories like grocery, FMCGs, apparel, health & personal Care have grown tremendously. In the next three years, the share of e-commerce is predicted to be just shy of eight per cent of total retail in India, hitting approximately $120 billion in revenue by 2024. According to the research published by Kantar on the State of E-commerce 2021, the online purchase journey can be complex and spans across multiple online and offline touch points. Thus brands need to be able to build a cohesive omnichannel strategy across all digital platforms be it search, social, email, retail or marketplaces. In addition to winning the product promotion on retailers or marketplaces’ own inventory, marketers should be looking to leverage the strong deterministic e-commerce data signals to reach their audiences across all digital platforms outside of O&O inventory. With media commerce driving awareness, consideration and final conversions brands should look for both qualitative and quantitative signals to measure effectiveness of their media investments, and not just ROAS.

    Creative innovation and hyper-personalisation at scale

    We’re already a mobile-first market, which is getting even bigger with better network performance on 4G and 5G. This has opened a huge opportunity to drive creative innovations across all channels – video, audio, gaming, commerce. Tech advancements and low latency mean advanced features such as AR/VR will load easily – visual search, social media lens, shoppable media, immersive gaming formats are certainly on the horizon. Ad formats such as interactive video, conversational audio and voice search ad-formats are already creating a true intent-based dialogue and engagement with consumers. Apart from the innovations-formats, data-driven creative storytelling will allow marketers to deliver personalised communication to their audiences at scale.

    (The author is head of product & marketing science, Xaxis India. Indiantelevision.com may not subscribe to their views.)